Friday 20 March 2015

Enjoy St Lucia Island

Marigot Bay is a picturesque spot in St. Lucia.


St. Lucia, in the string of Caribbean islands southeast of Puerto Rico, offers vacation activities for every interest, whether relaxing on the beach, visiting historic sites, or tackling more active pursuits such as sailing, snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, golf, boat cruises, visiting casinos, helicopter rides or exploring the nightlife.


The island has 11 land quarters, but the most popular destinations are the capital of Castries, Anse la Raye, Soufriere and Gros Islet.


Instructions


1. Explore Marquis Estate in Castries Quarter. St. Lucia's largest estate, Marquis Estate, is just outside Castries. This working plantation offers insights into the production of St. Lucia's export crops, banana and copra, as well as the principal crops of previous years, coffee and cocoa. The tour includes a scenic drive along St. Lucia's northeast coast to the countryside, a visit to an old sugar mill, a boat ride on the Marquis River and lunch at the plantation house.


2. See more history at Anse la Raye Quarter. La Sikwe Historical Sugar Mill and Plantation is a 400-acre estate set in a beautiful botanical garden, with an on-site museum, a cultural theater and a 40-foot water wheel depicting the sugar-growing years of the 18th century.


It is also known for its weekly Seafood Friday, which caters to both tourists and locals with steamed fish, seafood in season, and plenty of drinks and music.


3. Explore Soufriere Quarter. It boasts several attractions, including a drive-in volcano, the Diamond Botanical Gardens with its color-changing waterfall, black sand beaches, fishing, scuba diving and historic sulphur mineral baths. The black sand beaches are Anse Chastanet (north) and Malgretout (south). The Morne Coubaril Estate, which overlooks the picturesque town of Soufriere, has a tour that includes a demonstration of cocoa, copra and manioc -- cassava -- processing, a walk on an original street formerly used by mule carriages, and a visit to a workers' village.


4. See Gros Islet Quarter. Pigeon Island is a 40-acre inlet on the west coast; it has beautiful nature trails, secluded beaches and Fort Rodney, occupied by the British in the 18th century and and a World War II era communications buildings.


This area is popular for its peaceful setting and observing the wildlife.


It also is famous for the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, ranked among the top music festivals in the world.

Tags: 18th century, Anse Raye, black sand, black sand beaches, fishing scuba, fishing scuba diving